Learn about the monarchs that were raised at the school in the fall of 2018 in this link ----->

monarch watch

This is a luna moth caterpillar that is an orange color right because it is about to cocoons up.

This is a luna moth caterpillar. It is usually a green, but sometimes turns an orange color right before it cocoons up. It eats on leaves of hickory, walnut, sweet gum, persimmon, and birch trees


The luna moth in the right picture is almost ready to fly.  It will not eat as an adult. Due to pollution and pesticide use, this beautiful moth is struggling to survive.

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The luna moth just after emerging from its cocoon.

The luna moth 12 hours after emerging from cocoon.

Students got the opportunity to see a monarch caterpillar form its chrysalis. The little caterpillar you see here is a few days old and smaller than the tip of my finger.

Monarch attaches to the leaf then hangs upside down in a J position. It will hang until it is ready to form its chrysalis. After straightening, its "skin" (exoskeleton) splits, and then it pushes the skin toward the leaf, having its chrysalis already formed under the skin.

The monarch has just formed its chrysalis. The yellow-green bands will disappear and some gold spots will form on the end.

Just before the monarch is ready to come out its chrysalis turns clear.

This monarch just came our of the chrysalis and is beginning to straighten out its wings.

Its wings are fully pumped up and are ready to fly to Mexico. Because of the destruction of its food, the milkweed plant, the monarch population is declining. You can help by planting milkweed.

Monarchs have several things that can hurt them including pesticides, parasites, and bacteria/virus/fungal infections.  One of our classroom monarchs was killed by a parasite known as the tachinid fly.  It was not discovered until the chrysalis developed a string on the chrysalis. The Butterfly Fun Facts webpage has a page dedicated to these diseases and parasites.

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I am available after school if students need help.